


Caught in the Act

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Feels, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Loki (Marvel) Feels, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Thor is a little shit, Thor's matchmaking skills are unparalleled, in fact-
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-11-03 17:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17881913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Kissing Anthony to help free him from captivity should have been a simple act, nothing more than a press of lips. But maybe Loki gets a little carried away– and maybe, like the good brother that he is, Thor decides to help them both realise just how much they enjoyed it.





	Caught in the Act

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of a rambling conversation with **STARSdidathing**. I decided (after a bit of _prompting_ ) to write it. Also, parts of Thor’s dialogue (and the bones of the note) were written by STARS, and I only changed them a little to fit. Special mention as well to **Rabentochter** for cheering me on while I wrote this all in one go. Thank you both!!

Panic. Sheer, unadulterated, near-overwhelming panic.

It should not have been the reaction Loki felt when he realised what was about to happen– every time he had imagined such a thing, he had always pictured it as a moment of complete and utter bliss. And yet…

 _Panic_.

They were on a planet with a name that none of the Revengers could pronounce, but the difficulty of the name paled in comparison to the harshness of their laws. Anthony had been accused of speaking out of turn, and the only way to get him out of prison had been to pose as his intended and claim ownership rights, so that Loki would be permitted to pay a bail.

The ruse had been going well, they were nearly out, but one of the guards had become suspicious. And, well. There was one simple way to assure the guards, to prove to them that their engagement was _real._

“Of course they will kiss,” Thor had said immediately, glancing between Anthony and Loki with a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “They are engaged to be married, after all.”

The panic in Anthony’s eyes was just as real as that which Loki felt coursing through his body, no doubt horrified at the very thought. And with that, more than anything, Loki knew that he could not kiss Anthony. Not because he did not wish to, but rather because he wished to a little too much.

But nor could he allow the ruse to fall through, because if the choice was between breaking his own heart or leaving Anthony locked up on an unfamiliar and brutal planet, then– well, then there really was no choice at all.

So, despite his nervousness and his knowledge of just exactly what this act would do to his already fragile heart, Loki took Anthony gently into his arms and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss.

It couldn’t stay chaste of course, not if they wanted to be convincing. Still, Loki tried to keep it so at least in the beginning, cupping Anthony’s cheek and moving slowly with the lightest amount of pressure. But even through the burning haze of Anthony’s lips on his, Loki heard Thor clear his throat sharply—

Loki pressed his teeth into Anthony’s bottom lip, and the mortal gasped in response, his lips pulling apart and giving Loki the chance to deepen the kiss. He threw caution to the wind and kissed like it was his only chance– and maybe it was, which could only mean that he would take everything Anthony was willing to give. And was it Loki’s imagination, or was Anthony leaning into it, kissing him back, his hands tugging lightly at Loki’s hair—

“ _Ahem_.”

They pulled away to see one of the guards tapping her foot impatiently.

“That is sufficient,” she said. She then went on to detail the price for Anthony’s release, and Loki hoped that Thor was paying attention, since he found it difficult to tear his gaze from Anthony’s bruised lips and flushed cheeks.

It was both invigorating and agonising. Loki’s heart was beating too fast in his chest, his breaths short and sharp. His mind was shattered, a thousand thoughts and ideas running through his head and yet he felt like he wasn’t thinking anything at all, caught on the memory of Anthony’s lips pressed on his, Anthony’s hands in his hair. It was everything and yet it was _nothing_ , because there was nothing that could ever come from it.

And that… oh, that _hurt_.

Thankfully, the negotiations passed quickly and the walk back to the ship was too hurried to be awkward, but the moment they had jumped into the cargo bay and the doors closed, Loki couldn’t help but glance over at the mortal he had come to care for so very much. And as the engine started and whichever of the other Revengers was piloting took them all away from that dangerous planet, Anthony began to speak.

“Thanks for the rescue, I had fun,” Anthony said, a bright grin plastered over his face but not quite reaching his eyes. “I guess the legends of your silver tongue aren’t exaggerated.”

Loki matched his gaze, but not his smile, and Anthony’s expression fell.

“Sorry,” Anthony said, glancing away. “I only meant that… well.” He laughed– a strained, broken thing that tugged painfully at Loki’s affections. Had the kiss really been that bad?

“You both pulled that off very convincingly,” Thor butted in, and Loki could feel the heavy stare pressing tangibly against his skin. “It was almost as if you were both in love.”

Anthony’s cheeks burned a bright red once more, and Loki’s teeth snapped together with an audible click.

“Or as if you were truly life partners who are engaged for marriage, or at least are meant to be,” Thor continued, his voice starting to become wistful. “Like you two are souls meant for each other, your hearts yearning—”

“Shut _up_ , Thor!” Loki hissed, the words coming out far louder and sharper than he had intended.

Anthony stared at Loki, his lips parting in confusion and his brow furrowed. Loki pointedly refused to even look at him.

“Friend Tony,” Thor said, and Loki’s nails cut into the palm of his hand with the effort of not pulling out a dagger and stabbing Thor right then and there. “Did it not seem to you that Loki and yourself were kissing like you meant it?”

Anthony’s eyes widened with shock, and his cheeks flushed darker still. He was probably embarrassed by even the _idea_ that he could like one such as Loki, and Loki found himself gritting his teeth, preparing for the rejection.

“Uh,” Anthony said, managing to find his voice. “We’re, erm… we’re good actors?”

Thor’s eye twitched with obvious amusement. Loki wished he had a book handy. A heavy one, solid, good for throwing.

“Ah, I see,” Thor said. “Good actors. Yes. Then perhaps you should try again? After all, you never know when we may come across a similar situation, and I would like to see how skilled you are at, ah, _faking_ being in love with each other. Just in case I should ever need to do the same.”

“Thor, we are tired,” Loki snapped. “It has been a long day. Stop this nonsense.”

Thor leaned forward, his smirk stretching in the same manner that once meant he was about to suggest Loki use his seiðr to turn Sif’s hair an unnatural hue.

“Brother,” he said. “You aren’t _scared_ , are you?”

Loki narrowed his eyes. He knew _exactly_ what Thor was doing—

“It can’t hurt, can it, Loki?” Anthony asked. He had a strange look in his eye that Loki wasn’t entirely sure how to decipher, but he easily recognised the determined tilt to Anthony’s chin.

Neither he nor Anthony were the kind to back down from a challenge, and Thor _knew_ _it_.

The only problem was– it _would_ hurt, because it would mean nothing to Anthony at all. One kiss had been enough to give Loki a taste of what _could_ , of what he had yearned for but would never be able to have for his own, and another would make the longing unbearable.

But he couldn’t say that, he couldn’t let Anthony know, which meant that he had no reason why he should not fall into Anthony’s sweet embrace once more.

Perhaps he could leave, claim again that he was too tired and skywalk to his rooms—

But Anthony was already moving closer, his hands were cupping Loki’s face, his lips were brushing the corner of Loki’s mouth—

Loki’s eyes fell closed of their own accord, and his arms wrapped around Anthony’s waist. Their lips met properly and it was just as perfect as the last time– perhaps more, since this was slightly less forced.

It was faster than the first kiss, more teeth and tongues than the simple slide of lips. And Loki was lost almost instantly, the ship and Thor and everything slipping away as the taste of Anthony’s lips danced across the tip of his tongue.

A jerk of the ship pulled them apart far too soon, as their current pilot enacted some too-fast turn. Loki cleared his throat and stepped back, feeling like his shoes had been filled with lead by how heavy they were. Anthony’s eyes remained closed for a moment longer than Loki’s, and Loki once again had to force himself to look away lest he reveal the depth of his affections with the desperate longing that was no-doubt plastered across his face.

At some point during their embrace Thor had left, and there was now a yellow square of paper stuck to the door. The note was unsigned, but the handwriting and contents of the message left very little room for doubt.

> _The pair of you are in love, and the Norns themselves must be tired of your obliviousness. For all of our sakes, confess and kiss one another properly. _
> 
> _The door is locked, and you shall not be released from the hold until you do so._

Loki crumpled the note in his hand, and turned to see that Anthony had been reading over his shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter,” Loki muttered, swallowing against the sensation of something constricting his throat. “No lock on this ship could possibly stop me, I’ll have it open with my seiðr in a moment.” He pressed his palm to the cool surface of the door to illustrate his point before glancing back to the mortal.

Anthony’s expression was oddly vulnerable, his head tilted and his brow gently creased, though there was a touch of hopefulness dancing about the edges.

“Loki,” he said quietly, pausing to press his lips together for a moment. Loki couldn’t help but follow the movement. “Do you… _want_ us to leave?”

The answer to that was, of course, a resounding _no–_ Loki never truly wanted to be anywhere that Anthony wasn’t. But even if Loki were brave enough to admit as much, that wasn’t really the question that Anthony had asked, was it? Anthony had said _us_ , the word implying that they would leave together– but they would also leave behind this chance, this opportunity that Thor had laid out before them on a silver platter to turn their friendship into something more.

It was likely that Loki’s imagination had once again distorted the situation, had convinced him to see things that were not there. But Anthony was looking at Loki with such longing in his gaze, with more than a simple question etched into the hopeful lines of his face. His words had held weight, they _meant_ something deeper.

Loki allowed his hand to fall away from the door.

Could it be… could it be possible that Anthony wanted him back?

If there was chance here, a real _chance_ that Loki could have what he wanted, and then he threw it away, he knew that he would regret it for the rest of his long life.

Perhaps… it was time to take a leap of faith.

“No,” Loki breathed. “I do not.”

He stepped into Anthony’s space, letting the crumpled note fall to the ground and allowing the tips of his fingers to trail over Anthony’s cheek. And when he spoke again, his voice was just as nervous as Anthony’s had been.

“Do _you_ want me to go?”

“No,” Anthony replied without an inch of hesitation, leaning in until they were barely a hairsbreadth apart. “I think I’d quite like it if you stayed, actually.”

When their lips met for the third and, really, the _first_ time, Loki felt his hands begin to tremble against Anthony’s skin. Even as it deepened the kiss was smooth and delicious and _perfect,_ their bodies aligning flawlessly, no more of that bumbling awkwardness as they both tried to hide what they were feeling—

Because _yes_ , Loki knew now that they _both_ had been feeling the same.

Before long Loki’s breath was coming in soft pants, and he gasped as Anthony’s hands made their way below Loki’s shirt, his nails lightly scratching skin and leaving lines of fire across every nerve. He pulled Anthony as close to him as he could, and their hips pressed flush together.

“ _Oh_ ,” Loki groaned, tilting his head up and just slightly away from Anthony so that he could _breathe._

“Hey, Lokes,” Anthony said, his voice low and sounding just as breathless as Loki felt. “You good?”

“Anthony,” Loki said, drawing out the syllables as he leaned back down and whispered into Anthony’s ear, allowing his teeth to graze soft skin. “I have never felt better.”

The note they had been left demanded only a kiss, and no doubt they had long since crossed that threshold. But Loki had no intention of holding back, not now that Anthony was finally within his reach, and not only accepting Loki’s affections but _returning_ them, as well.

After all, when would they next have such a chance as this? They had been granted privacy on the ship where they usually were all forced to live in each other’s pockets.

It would be a waste not to make use of it.

-—◊—-

By the time Loki transported them to the bridge, Thor and Banner were the only Revengers present, as they had swapped with the others so that they could have a break. The moment Thor spotted them standing with Loki’s arms around Anthony’s waist he pumped his fist and nearly leapt into the air like he had won a great victory. Oh well, Loki believed he might have a way to curb that horrific level of enthusiasm.

“Thank god. _Finally_ ,” Banner sighed, tossing his head back with relief.

“Oi,” Anthony snapped, though his grin didn’t shift in the slightest, and he only leaned further into Loki’s hold.

“Thor, as much as I am pleased with the outcome,” Loki said, his fingers twisting unconsciously in the hem of Anthony’s shirt. “I would prefer that next time, you choose a more comfortable room to lock us in.” He smirked. “Those crates are not the softest of objects to brace against.”

Rather than the disgust Loki had been hoping for, Thor’s grin turned positively _gleeful_ , and Loki doubted that it was all due to joy at Loki’s happiness. He seemed too close to giggling for that.

“What is it?” Loki asked suspiciously.

“Oh, Loki,” Thor chuckled. “The door was never locked.”

Anthony, of course, started to laugh, and Loki greatly preferred to watch his smile grow than waste his energy glaring at Thor.

 _He’s happy because he’s with me,_ Loki realised, turning warm from the inside out.

“It is rather unlike you, brother,” Thor continued, his eyes gleaming with pride and mirth, “to miss the lie amongst the truth.”

“I suppose I was distracted,” Loki offered, and when Anthony’s bright gaze turned met his own, he pressed their lips together for the briefest of moments.

“Now _that_ is a proper kiss,” Thor said.

For once, Loki did not feel the urge to plunge a dagger into Thor’s side, and instead he offered his brother a smile that was small, but true. After all, as irritating as his meddling had been, Thor had managed to force Loki’s eyes open with a broken toothpick and helped him see what was right in front of him. Because for all that Loki was normally good at spotting a lie, he had been missing the truth all along– he had been so afraid of damaging his heart that he’d locked it away, and in doing so he’d failed to see that Anthony had loved him just the same.

As embarrassing as that was, it was hardly of consequence, because he had ended up with everything he could ever want in the end. Now that he knew how it felt to hold Anthony in his arms, to be able to kiss him and shower him with the affection he deserved, Loki was sure he would never be able to let go– and that was all right, because Loki _knew_ now, with all that he was, that Anthony wouldn’t ever let go of him either.


End file.
